Illegal Hits & Suspensions

There was an interesting little article in the Express today regarding Alexander Ovechkin. It quoted him as saying that he plays risky and that he sees no reason to change. It also said that people have told him to stop or someone will kill him to which he responded that no one is going to kill him. Please allow me to attack these two points below.

Playing Risky? Oh he’s playing risky, but there are at least two ways to play risky. There is the we have nothing left to lose so I’m going to go out there and risk the safety of proper defense and defensive offense for the sake of trying to win the game by scoring a much needed goal. This is what some players do when their team is down and they desperately need a goal to win. This is usually a commendable type of risky, but this isn’t what Alexander Ovechkin was referring to.

No, what Ovechkin is talking about is HIS risky type of play. Sure he has total enthusiasm, but he also has a loss of control and a lack of respect….which is pulling us into point number two….

No One is Going to Kill Him? Um…excuse me, but the point is that YOU are going to KILL SOMEONE ELSE. Wow! That was either a major translation problem, narcissism or absolute disrespect. Disrespect of what you ask? Oh, please allow me…..

By playing in a manner in which you are out of control and throwing illegal hits, you disrespect the wonderful game that is hockey. If Alexander Ovechkin, poster-boy for the NHL, cannot respect the game, the league, or other hockey players, he doesn’t deserve to be on the ice.

Which brings us to officiating in the NHL. It is inconsistent to say the least, but the NHL has been allowing their select “poster-boys” get away with far too much. Hockey is a business but it’s also a sport and either way that you look at it, it deserves respect. Respect of the rules, of the players and of the fans. By allowing a select few to get away with “indiscretions” you are weakening the league and the sport. You are also saying that certain players are “worth” more than others. An illegal hit, is an illegal hit. If it’s fuzzy then clarify the rules. Rules should not be determined by the player being investigated.

What I suggest is that everyone “man-up”. The NHL needs to get the suspensions and their lengths standardized so it isn’t a joke, and players like Ovechkin need to get themselves to show respect for the sport they play as well as other players. How many times does he need to hurt someone before he learns his lesson?